Attention Deficit Disorder and Addiction

There is evidence pointing to a “novelty” gene which is thought to be present in both ADD and addiction. Both addicts and ADDers seek high levels of novelty and stimulation. Although addicts seek drugs, ADDers can find other avenues to high arousal activities ( these days, including Face Book). ADDers can also become addicts in a number of other stimulating activities. Just like the first step in drug addiction recovery involves ”detox”, the same is usually needed for ADDers.

As an ADD coach, I had difficulty at first finding strategies for a client who spent several years trying to start her thesis. She had become addicted to the Internet and loved investigating many sites, and, of course, did not enjoy the tedious work needed to read and write for her thesis. Finally, I told her about addiction, and how she needed to be “detoxed” by staying off the Internet for three days. She was angry hearing this but agreed. Following the three days of withdrawal, during which she worked on her thesis, she agreed that she could only be on the Internet daily contingent upon her completion of 80% of her goals.

Fortunately, her spouse agreed to help her by changing her password for the three days of abstinence. We’ll see what happens. I’ll keep you posted

ADDers Thrive in Stimulating Situations

ADDers do well in stimulating and novel situations. As an ADDer who coaches, I love to travel to new and exciting places. Just returned from a 2 week trip to Turkey, and strongly recommend traveling to the ADDer. Of course I’m back now to a fairly routine life, and miss the recent experience. It’s quite a “downer” after experiencing an ”upper” state.

Treating Couples with an ADHD Member

Many couples come in to therapy because they are frequently in conflict due to their different “brain styles”. As a clinical psychologist, one characteristic brain style I see is the AD(H)D type. The member who has this brain style may actually have the diagnosis of ADD with or without hyperactivity, or have ADD-like behaviors. Whether or not this member actually has ADD or is ADD-like, he or she is difficult to live with, since the other member often has a very different brain style. They have become a couple because of their commonalities and their differences. At first the differences seemed appealing ( “Opposites attract”) and provided a balance in the relationship until they started living together.

Initially, in the typical situation, the ADD member was probably playful, fun- loving, creative, witty, outgoing and spontaneous. However, as the relationship continued, he exhibited poor listening skills, disorganization, bad time management, inappropriate impulsivity, excessive need for novelty, and often, lack of attention to detail and follow through with requests from the other member. The other was found to be more serious, very focused, a good listener and planner, although not particularly spontaneous. The usual complaints come from the non-ADD member, who starts to act critical and parental towards the other, who resents it. The non-ADD=2
0person will often say, ”He’s passive aggressive”. The ADD-like member usually says, ”He’s so critical and treats me like a child. I do my best but nothing pleases him”.

My first job is to talk about brain styles and how they work and don’t work together. Usually, even if it is known that one member has ADD, neither member is aware of the negative as well as the positive impact of this on the relationship. I try to dismiss labels such as “passive aggressive” and “narcissistic”, and reframe various behaviors. I work on having each member becoming aware of adapting to the other’s brain style with the goal of integration. I always point out that the cores of both brain styles won’t change ,but some changes in interactional behavior is possible, if the positives in the relationship are realized. For example, the non-ADDer has to curb her parental tendencies and discuss with her ADD mate specific tasks and deadlines they both agree on. Also, it is often useful for each to have separate domains for chores, finances, planning vacations, using the best skills of each. The need for novelty and stimulation that the ADDer has, often is not matched by the lower level of external stimulation the non-ADDer needs. The ADD member often craves a novel or stimulating activity ( and it shouldn’t be a dangerous one ) by himself while the non-ADD member can enjoy a more relaxing activity in her leisure time (such as reading). An important focus of therapy is having the ADD couple work together as a team that realizes that one brain style is not better than the other, just different. As a result of all the couples with ADD I have treated, my most useful role is as an ADD coach.


To Be Successful, You Need Coaching for ADD

Science News Addressing Concentration in the ADDer

It looks like there’s new technology on the horizon for the ADDer. Read the Science/ Medical Section of the Tuesday NY Times entitled “Ear Plugs to Lasers: The Science of Concentration”.

Scientists at M.I.T. are trying to enhance attention by sending pulses of laser light to an ear plug. The scientists point out that if this ultimately works to improve concentration in the ADDer, it would have fewer side effects than the use of stimulant medication. You would be wearing a device like a hearing aid.


Until the technology comes out, they recommend that you do one task to completion, preferably for 90 minutes, first thing in the morning, then take a 20 minute break (you can do other activities during this break) until the brain is ready to “boot up” and focus in on one other important task.. We ADDers are used to multitasking at all times, and only complete a portion of all the tasks (like reading one chapter of a book, and never going back to it). While multitasking can be a strength for us, it often becomes a weakness. So I think that multi-tasking only during breaks makes good sense.


What is your opinion of the Times article? If you don’t finish reading it, I’d still like to know whether or not you find multitasking a strength or weakness. Be sure to consult with your coach.

Excessive Worrying: Distraction or Stimulation for the ADDer

I am a clinical psychologist who coaches ADDers. But I have to admit that as an ADDer myself, I am constantly learning new things that go along with ADD. For example, I've always been a worrier, I even can worry excessively about happenings I can't control. I always tell my clients to worry only if it's a problem that may have a solution. If not, use cognitive strategies to stop the worrying process. Of course I don't follow my own advice. However, I'm becoming aware that excessive worry can serve several purposes for the ADDer.

First, I found that sometimes I worry about an unsolvable problem during the time I have important tedious tasks to do, so worrying serves as a distraction, and the problem I worry about doesn't get solved, the tasks I had to do also don't get done. As ridiculous as it sounds, worrying can be very stimulating when the current situation is boring, and ADDers crave stimulation even if it's useless.

I used to be quite a hypochondriac, and now realize that I spent an inordinate amount of time examining a whole host of symptoms. Of course, hypochondriacs are inadvertently reinforced by people who will listen to them. I have finally solved this ongoing maladaptive behavior pattern by only checking out symptoms that lasted for a long time or got worse. Now I realize what tasks I am trying to avoid, and find other means of stimulation. However, I'm going to Turkey in a few weeks, and am worrying about how to avoid contracting swine flu, particularly when on planes. Guess what.. I can't solve this, but am I still worrying because I think I can, or for stimulation, or as a distraction from other things I have to do. What do you think?

ADULT ADDers: TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST

I am a clinical psychologist with a coaching practice. Most young and older adults who contact me have already been diagnosed with AD(H)D. Whether or not they take stimulant medication, they seek strategies to help them in the realms that interfere with optimal functioning. But what about the ADDers who have not been tested? Do I do a screening, a short-evaluation or a complete neuropsychological evaluation? Many experts feel that a complete neuropsychological evaluation is necessary, while others indicate that a developmental history, self-report inventory, and a thorough clinical interview of the individual's work or school status, relationship issues, and social life, to name a few, is sufficient.

As for me, I take the latter approach, including the following areas: 1. developmental and school history, 2. the presence of any known learning disability,3. the coexistence of other psychological and medical issues , 4. the responses on various self-report questionnaires. If an adult has just completed high school or college and has high SAT's or GRE's, I only need to do a screening. However, recently a young man came in with a previous psychological evaluation that suggested dyslexia. I'll have to check that out, to determine if his attention problems result from that, or whether his ADD slows down his reading speed and ability to sustain attention on a reading task.

Many adult ADDers have done very well in their primary and high school years, since they were very bright and could 'wing' it. Then in later life, the demand for self-initiation of tasks and the effort involved became overwhelming. Thus, in these cases a developmental history would not reveal ADD unless there was a hyperactive component(ADHD). I therefore emphasize individualizing the assessment of ADDers, to determine how thorough the testing needs to be. Of those of you who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, how was it determined?

WHY DO ADDERS SEEK COACHING?

These days, many ADDers take stimulant medication but find it is not sufficient to accomplish their challenging tasks. I see ADDers who are seeking out coaching for ADD in my office for the first time. A few, who have been diagnosed ADD, are found to have problems not associated with ADD. They may have chronic illness or a recent trauma or Asperger's syndrome, which are more challenging for them, than the ADD they have, so that coaching for ADD would not be useful.

Of those who have ADD, there is tremendous variability in terms of which symptoms or behaviors they need help with. Some like me are less concerned about impulsivity( because I am spontaneous at the same time) than initiating a task. Others have problems finishing a task even though they have many other ADD behaviors. Still others are easily distractible or easily bored with tedious tasks, so strategies like studying with environmental stimulation ( such as music are e recommended And then there are the self-destructive risk takers who take drugs and do other risk-taking activities.All ADDers may have a similar cluster of symptoms, but they want to work on those that are interfering with their functioning. So coaches must individualize strategies.

To Be Successful, You Need Coaching for ADD

http://addressingyouradd.com/